The Jews of Khazaria explores the history and culture of Khazaria—a large empire in eastern Europe (located in present-day Ukraine and Russia) in the early Middle Ages noted for its adoption of the Jewish religion. The third edition of this modern classic features new and updated material throughout, including new archaeological findings, new genetic evidence, and new information about the migration of the Khazars.<span style="an economic and cultural power connected to several important trade routes and known for its religious tolerance. After the royal family converted to Judaism in the ninth century, many nobles and common people did likewise. The Khazars were ruled by a succession of Jewish kings and adopted many hallmarks of Jewish civilization, including study of the Torah and Talmud, Hebrew script, and the observance of Jewish holidays. The third edition of The Jews of Khazaria tells the compelling true story of this kingdom past.

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Review

This third, revised edition of Kevin Brook's well-received publication succeeds in elucidating controversial issues, while contextualizing the Khazar polity within the competitive ninth- to eleventh-century world. As a full exploration in English of the history and culture of the Khazars, this volume is without equal. -- Edward J. Lazzerini, Indiana University

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The Jews of Khazaria explores the history and culture of Khazaria—a large empire in eastern Europe (located in present-day Ukraine and Russia) in the early Middle Ages noted for its adoption of the Jewish religion. The third edition of this modern classic features new and updated material throughout, including new archaeological findings, new genetic evidence, and new information about the migration of the Khazars.<span style="an economic and cultural power connected to several important trade routes and known for its religious tolerance. After the royal family converted to Judaism in the ninth century, many nobles and common people did likewise. The Khazars were ruled by a succession of Jewish kings and adopted many hallmarks of Jewish civilization, including study of the Torah and Talmud, Hebrew script, and the observance of Jewish holidays. The third edition of The Jews of Khazaria tells the compelling true story of this kingdom past.

Brook has accomplished what no-one since D.M. Dunlop (in his 1954 "History of the Jewish Khazars") has been able to do: He has written a comprehensive, up-to-date, scrupulously researched and scholarly account of the amazing history of the Khazars. Better still, he has done so in a manner that is accessible to the layman as well as to historians.

Brook, a layman himself (albeit a lay expert), has meticulously collected thousands of tidbits of historical knowledge and lore from a myriad of primary and secondary sources

Brook's first edition (published by Jason Aaronson in 1999) was a masterpiece in and of itself, but it was flawed by the certainty of certain controversial assertions (such as that the conversion of the Khazars took place in 861) which have, over the course of only a few years, become outdated by dramatic new discoveries in numismatics and archaeology. This second edition of Brook's magnum opus corrects many errors and also includes information on new discoveries, organized into convenient, intuitive and well-cited sections (including "The Origins of the Khazars", "The Khazars' Conversion to Judaism", and "Relations between the Khazars and other People".)

Khazar history is brought to life through discussions of trade, religion, daily life, language, and many other issues. Anyone interested in Jewish, Eastern European or Eurasian history, or anyone who fancies themselves a polymath, would be remiss if they failed to purchase and read this book.

5.0 out of 5 starsRecommended for Learning about Khazaria and Jewish History in Eastern Europe

29 March 2013 - Published on Amazon.com

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For a history buff, I thought this was an excellent read.

I wanted to learn more about the remarkable empire that was Khazaria, and this book did an excellent job. As a bonus, I enjoyed the detailed history of the Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. I had no idea there were so many enclaves!

My only complaint is that the book starts off a little slow. You have to get thru the first chapter or two, but then it seems to take off like a rocket. I couldn't put it down after that.

To be perfectly frank, this is one of the more boring books I have ever read. Then again, I read it solely for a research paper so if you are actually interested in the subject you will probably enjoy it more than me. That being said, it was chock full of details, and obviously meticulously researched. It appears that this is THE ONLY recent (and reliable) work on the Khazars, which probably explains why it is so over-priced. Therefore, it is certainly valuable for it's rarity alone.

Anyway, the book gives a thorough description of the Khazars from their pre-Jewish origins as a Turkic people, through the conversion, and the building of, and subsequent decline of the Khazarian empire, which included a diaspora of Khazarian Jews into Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Brook finishes with a discussion of whether or not the Khazars are the ancestors of the modern day Ashkenazi Jews. So, this might not be the most compelling read, but if you're looking to learn about the Khazars, you don't have much choice! Four stars.